


Quarantine pals

by diner_drama



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, Quarantine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 08:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23348236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diner_drama/pseuds/diner_drama
Summary: Quarantine was driving Steve a little bit crazy. It had been three days and he'd already KonMari'd his entire house, baked three loaves of bread and deep-cleaned his bath tub, but that wasnothingcompared to the hot mess that was his neighbor.He'd first noticed it when he was settling down with a cup of coffee to watch the news and caught some movement out the window with the corner of his eye. He looked up just in time to see his neighbor enthusiastically doing the worm across his living room floor, on full display through his glass patio doors.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 9
Kudos: 215





	Quarantine pals

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this video about Sebastian Stan's quarantine workout](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7o1T4G3RqA&feature=youtu.be).

Quarantine was driving Steve a little bit crazy. It had been three days and he'd already KonMari'd his entire house, baked three loaves of bread and deep-cleaned his bath tub, but that was _nothing_ compared to the hot mess that was his neighbor.

He'd first noticed it when he was settling down with a cup of coffee to watch the news and caught some movement out the window with the corner of his eye. He looked up just in time to see his neighbor enthusiastically doing the worm across his living room floor, on full display through his glass patio doors.

It wasn't that he hadn't noticed the guy before - he had a tendency to work out by the window while wearing muscle shirts and hey, Steve's only human. Just yesterday, in an entirely non-creepy and totally fine way, Steve had surreptitiously watched him work his way through about a hundred push-ups and then sprint up and down his stairs for ten solid minutes.

This was the first time he'd noticed the dancing, and he had to say, the guy's commitment was impressive. He was now spinning in circles on his area rug, eyes closed, and undulating his hips in a way that made Steve have to look away and blush intensely, before, unable to help himself, looking again.

To Steve's immense embarrassment, Hot Neighbor opened his eyes and looked straight at him through the glass, then winked at him and carried on unselfconsciously dancing. Steve raised his coffee cup in recognition, gave him a polite nod, and then fled the room.

On day four of quarantine, Steve had finished every piece in his art commission backlog and video called every single one of his friends, and was just about to sit down for a superhero movie marathon when he caught sight of Hot Neighbor playing an energetic game of ping pong against his living room wall, ducking and diving to hit the ball, completely intent on his task. Once again, he was caught staring, but his neighbor just grinned widely, waved at him, and carried on with his game. Steve gave him a lazy salute and pressed play on his movie.

The next day, Steve was halfway through breakfast when he realized that Hot Neighbor was performing a near-perfect rendition of the dance to Gangnam Style.

Steve Rogers has many skills, but turning down a challenge isn't one of them. 

Leaping to his feet, he took his place in front of the window and joined in, mirroring Hot Neighbor's movements exactly. He was rewarded with a huge smile breaking out on the guy's face and increased vigor and sensuality in his movements. They were both panting and out of breath by the time he finally tapped out, red in the face and dripping with sweat.

Hot Neighbor's shirt was almost entirely transparent by this point, not that Steve was looking. He was scribbling something on a piece of paper with a Sharpie, and then he held it up to his window. Steve squinted, trying to read the text, then realized it was a phone number. Grinning, he programmed it into his phone.

**Steve:** hi

**Hot Neighbor:** hi!! Thanks for being my dance buddy

**Hot Neighbor:** I'm goin a little crazy in here

**Steve:** Yeah I noticed

**Hot Neighbor:** My name's Bucky by the way.

**Steve:** I'm Steve

**Hot Neighbor:** Nice to meet ya, Steve. Let me know if you need a cup of sugar sometime ;)

**Steve:** Will do :)

* * *

 **Bucky:** Steve

**Bucky:** Steeeeeeeeve

Steve put down his pencil and picked up his phone.

**Steve:** Hey Bucky, what's up?

**Bucky:** Steve I'm SO BORED

**Bucky:** I ate all my quarantine snacks already

**Bucky:** now all I have in my house is REAL FOOD

**Bucky:** this is BARBARIC

**Steve:** You want some cupcakes? I'm due to start obsessively baking in half an hour after I'm done with work.

**Bucky:** Steve you are like a GOD to me

* * *

Balancing a tray of cupcakes in one hand, Steve opened his front door and stepped outside, taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of the sun on his face. He could see Bucky in his living room, doing push-ups without his shirt on, but he leaped to his feet when he saw Steve approaching, beaming from ear to ear, and leaned against the glass.

Steve allowed himself only a few seconds to admire the sweat gleaming on Bucky's defined abs, before carefully placing down the tray of cupcakes on the top step outside his patio doors.

"Don't eat 'em all at once," he called through the glass. "You'll make yourself sick."

"Thanks ma!" chirped Bucky happily, waving him off.

A couple of minutes later, as Steve was washing his hands in the kitchen sink, his phone began to ring. Fumbling to dry off his hands and pick up the handset, he brought up the screen to see Bucky's handsome face smiling at him.

"Steve!" he beamed, waving at the camera. "These cupcakes are incredible."

"Did you eat them all already?"

"Only two of them, I swear!"

Steve smirked and leaned his hip against the counter. "Do you even eat carbohydrates? Surely those abs were not built out of cupcakes."

"Are you kidding me?" said Bucky, gesturing up and down his torso. "This body is eighty percent cake."

Steve quirked an eyebrow. "I was thinking it looked pretty delicious."

Bucky whooped. "An amazing baker _and_ a smooth talker. You really are the whole package, aren't you?"

"Hey, if you want to talk about my package, I won't stop you."

"Oh _really_ ," drawled Bucky, leaning back on his couch and resting the phone on his stomach. A vague thump was audible in the background. "Hey, shut up, Joseph!"

"You live with someone?" asked Steve, shifting uncomfortably. "I've never seen anyone else in your window."

"No, uh, Joseph is kinda my imaginary friend? I figured it might keep me more sane to have someone around the house to talk to, but now I'm saying it out loud it actually sounds much less sane than I was imagining."

"What's he doing, throwing around your stuff?"

"Actually I think that was just my gate slamming shut, but if I blame Joseph for it I won't start worrying about ghosts."

"Well, I'm glad I won't have to contend with a jealous boyfriend," laughed Steve, "even if you do have a poltergeist."

"So Steve," continued Bucky, biting on his lower lip and looking intensely into the camera. "Let's talk about your package."


End file.
